Electric fire



H. H. BERRY Nov. 30 1926. 1,608,764

ELECTRIC FIRE Filed 001:. 28, 1924 Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT HENRY BERRY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC FIRE.

Application filed October 28, 1924, Serial No. 746,440, and in Great Britain Decembei 29, 1923.

This invention relates to electric fires of that kind in which imitation fuel is illuminatedby electric lamps placed under or be hind it and with which one or more electric resistances or other heat-producing agent! may be employed.

Electric tires of this kind have been made with rotating devicesfor producing a flicker in the light from the lamps for the purpose of simulating the flames of an ordinary fuel fire. These devices are satisfactory in use but I have found by experiment that I can produce a flickering or 'flame-like effect by other means which I may use with or with? out the said flicker-producing devices above referred to.

Briefly the invention consists in the employment of a resistance or more than one in connection with an electric lamp or lamps and which is put into and cut out of the circuit to the lamp so as to reduce and allow the full normal voltage to cross the lamp, with the eiiect that as the voltage is altered the light from the lamp will flicker or shimmer and thus produce a flame-like or burning effeet. The putting in and cutting out of the resistance is thermally effected in any known or convenient manner preferably by the em ployment of a bimetallic switch over the two metals of which the resistance is wound in well known manner and as is commonly done with flash-light lamps used for advertising and analogous purposes but-with the difference that instead of practically cutting out the lamp the light is maintained but is raised and lowered.

' It is quite possible to adjust the bimetallic or other thermally-actuated device so that the intervals of reduced light are 'short in comparison to the intervals of full light.

Several of these devices, each controlling a separate lamp in a group of lamps, some of which are not socontrolled but are permanently fully alight during use, give a particularly good effect and the appearance of flames burning for a period and going out for a short time and then relightin'g in much the same Way as flames are produced by rich coal in an ordinary fire.-

I may construct the bimetallic or equivalent bars, rods, or the like in double or other multiple-form and adapted to control the one circuit thereby producing a changmg result in the flicker which is-of greater scope and variation than is obtained by a s ngle bimetallic strip or equivalent.

I wire the two"resistances so that the fluctuations of current through the lamp will be the sum of the constant variations caused by the two resistances or the resultant of the I two uniform waves of current superimposed Eenient position close to or; away from the re.

In this diagrammatic drawing the flow is by line 1 through winding 2 to point 3 then by winding 4- to line 5. r i When the section a which comprises a bimetallic bar is warmed the contact at 6 will close to contact 7 on line 1 and out out winding 2. In like manner when section b is warmed the winding 4: is cut out and current flows from 3 along the bar of that section to contact 8 and its fellow contact 9 on line 5. It will be evident that when a winding is out out and the flow is through the bar over which it is wound, an increased voltage is invention with re-f produced across the lamp and when both the windings are cut out, the normal voltage is supplied to the lamp.

WVhat I claim is 1. In an electric fire of the character described, an electric circuit including an electric lamp, and two resistances in seriestherewith, two bimetallic bars connected together at one end, a resistance being coiled around each bimetallic bar, said resistances'being connected to said bimetallic bars at their point of connection together, and two contacts connected to said circuit and adapted to co-operate with the free ends of said himetallic bars, the arrangement being such that when the resistances heat the bimetallic bars, the free ends of said bars come into contact, with said contacts so as to short circuit the resistances, the current then passing through the bimetallic bars, whilst when the bimetallic bars cool the free ends of said bimetallic bars are withdrawn fromvthe contacts so as to enable the current to again pass through the resistances.

2. In an electric fire of the character described, an electric circuit including a lamp, 6 a plurality of heating resistances arranged in series with the lamp, a bimetallic bar associated with andradapted to be heated by each resistance, a switch controlled'by each bimetallic bar, said bars operating when heated by the particular resistance to close the switch controlled by said bar and thereby short circuit the resistance, the said bimetallic bars when cool serving to open the switches and thereby place the resistances in circuit.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HERBERT HENRY BERRY. 

